1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to latches for mounting flush in panels and in particular to flush-mounted latches for automotive applications.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Flush-mounted latches are known in the art. For example, the Southco Handbook 2000 (Southco, Inc., Concordville, Pa.) discloses flush mounted push-to-close latches (p. 111) in which the latching pawl is spring-biased forward, and shaped so that pushing the door or panel in which the latch is mounted shut will cam the latching pawl backwards against the bias, permitting the latch to open and then lock after the door is completely closed. This xe2x80x9cslam-actionxe2x80x9d permits the door to be closed without direct, purposeful operation of the latch.
Although there are many applications for which slam-action type flush mounted latches are appropriate solutions, there are other application for which such slam-action latches are not desirable. For example, in automotive and other applications, when a door or panel is designed to open upward by rotation on a generally horizontal axis, accidental latching of the panel may occur if the panel or door is released inadvertently. One example of such an application is latches for panels in load floors in auto trunks or xe2x80x9cbootsxe2x80x9d used for storage. Flush-mounted latches are desirable for such applications for design and esthetic reasons, and it may be desirable to avoid accidental latching of these enclosures.
Another type of flush-mounted latch is the Lift and Turn(copyright) rotary compression latch, shown in the Southco Handbook 2000, at page 41. In this latch, the flush-mounted handle is lifted and rotated to rotate a pawl. Direct, purposeful action is required to close and latch a door fitted with this type of flush-mounted latch. Such flush-mounted latches requiring direct operation of the latch to close the latch tend to be more complicated mechanically, and thus more expensive, than many push-to-close latches.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,272, issued to Edward A. McCormack on Apr. 25, 1995, describes an over-center latch assembly. The front of the handle must be pushed downward to raise the rear grasping portion of the handle, thereby bringing the handle into engagement with a cam surface. Continued rotation of the handle actuates the latch.
The Southco Handbook 2000, page 121, illustrates a flush-mounted push-to-close latch wherein the handle is first pushed inward to raise the grasping portion of the handle outward.
There is a continuing need for a simple flush-mounted latch that can easily be operated to open the latch and yet can be pushed to close and latch the panel or door in which the latch is mounted.
The present invention provides a simple flush-mounted trunk-boot latch that can be operated to open the latch. The trunk-boot latch of the present invention does not require direct operation of the latch to secure the panel or door in which the trunk-boot latch is mounted; the trunk-boot latch can be operated by pushing the door or panel in which the trunk-boot latch is mounted to close the door or panel.
The trunk-boot latch of the present invention is simple to manufacture, assemble and install, and is preferably assembled from only two parts, a housing and a handle/pawl unit.
The trunk-boot latch of the present invention includes a housing, a handle, a pawl, and a plurality of flexible, spring or biasing elements.
The housing includes a partial front wall, a rearwall, a pair of partial side walls, a partial bottom wall, a substantially open top, a substantially vertical channel, a substantially hollow interior, a pair of lugs, a pair of guides, a pair of stops, a resilient snap leg, and a vertical extension.
The front wall, side walls, and bottom wall of the housing define a cutout that is dimensioned and configured to receive at least a pawl when the housing and handle unit are secured to one another. Each side of the housing includes means for pivotally securing a handle, preferably an aperture. The bottom of the housing includes an upwardly extending flange along its front edge. The top of the housing includes an outwardly extending flange around its outer edge.
The channel is positioned against and forward of the upwardly extending flange, and is dimensioned and configured to receive a flexible, channel-related spring. The channel is also dimensioned and configured to retain the channel-related spring when the handle is secured and actuating or pivoting relative to the housing. The lower portion of the channel is a predetermined amount wider from front to rear than the upper portion of the channel.
The lugs, at the front of the housing, help the latch to engage with the lid. The guides in the front of the housing restrain horizontal movement of the pawl during slam action closure of the latch. The snap leg, at the rear of the housing, has a hook-like structure for also helping the latch to engage with the lid. The stops prevent the rear of the handle from being pushed past a predetermined point when the rear of the handle is pushed downward toward the housing. At the rear of the housing, the vertical extension also helps the latch to engage with the lid.
The handle unit includes a flush-fitting handle, a pawl, a pair of flexible, pawl-related springs, and the flexible, channel-related spring. The handle has a front wall, a rear wall, a pair of side walls, a top wall, and a substantially open bottom. The rear wall of the handle permits the handle to be lifted and rotated for opening and closing the latch. Each side wall of the handle includes means for pivotally securing a handle, preferably a pin that is dimensioned and configured to fit within the corresponding aperture.
The pawl is positioned forward of and below the front of the handle. The pawl includes a front, a rear, a pair of sides, a top, and a bottom edge. The pawl is attached to the pawl-related springs, which are attached to the pawl member. The vertical extension of each pawl-related spring helps prevent the pawl and pawl-related springs from flexing or bending upward past a predetermined point above their resting positions.
The channel-related spring has a first end, a stem, and a generally xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d-shaped second end, and is substantially vertical in its relaxed position. The generally xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d-shaped second end is a predetermined amount wider from front to rear and from side to side than the stem, and is positioned within the lower portion of the channel when the handle unit is secured to the housing. The shape and configuration of the generally xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d-shaped second end help to retain the generally xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d-shaped second end within the lower portion of the channel when the handle unit is actuated or rotated relative to the housing.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a latch that may be placed in a closed position by slamming it shut.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a latch having a flush-fitting handle, thereby preventing interference with anyone or the placement of other things adjacent the latch.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a latch that may be easily assessed by a user.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent through the following description and claims.